Calling All Green Citizens 5/25/09

Carbon Consciousness, I’m OK, You’re OK

The current trend we are experiencing of guilty pleasure associated with travel makes me think of an experience from high school. Let’s go way back in the time machine. In the 70’s the “pop psychology” book, “I’m Ok, You’re OK”, was all the rage. This read was the extent of my one semester of psych in high school. This book for me boiled down to Parent, Adult, and Child, and, our interpersonal relationship with ourselves and those we encounter.

However simple, it’s seems that our current state of guilt by association with travel requires us to consider buying carbon offsets for our indulgences. “Parents” are popping up everywhere enabled by Internet updates, transparency and the twitterization of everyone’s lives. In the United Kingdom where Eco-Activists call out what they perceive as green offenses people have been held publicly accountable for years. Public flogging for Eco-Insensitivity is coming west, it’s quickly becoming an, “I’m not OK, because You’re not OK culture.

If this is the dawn of the Age of Responsibility, are we in the initial phase when our “Parent” is yelling at us to straighten up and be accountable? Have we suddenly been made to take a “time out” as a “Child”, until we regain balance with our own “Parent” and “Adult” and come to terms with our impact on the environment?

The psychology aside; I do believe that our irrational exuberance was unsustainable and whether we are experiencing a “time out” or just a slow down this is an opportunity to reflect on how we travel. Whether it’s our daily commute, or, our corporate events, how we use natural resources is now everyone’s concern. History and Herstory shouldn't be written that we were the last couple of generations that squandered energy resources and didn’t plan for the future.

Be Well, Behave and Be Green